Rotating seesaw



June 26, 1951 G. GROVER ROTATING SEESAW 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 25, 1948 JNI/ENTORI. 61 01/61 June 26, 1951 GROVER 2,558,431

ROTATING SEESAW Filed Feb. 25, 1948 I5 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN V EN TOR.

George G row/e1 BY ATTORNEYS,

Patented June 26, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROTATING SEESAW George Grover, Long Island City, N. Y.

Application February 25, 1948, Serial No. 10,608

3 Claims. (CL 272-30) This invention relates to an improved combination see-saw and merry-go-round.

An object of this invention is to provide a seesaw which will automatically give the users thereof a rotary ride at the end of a given number of teetering motions.

Another object of this invention is to provide a combined see-saw and merry-go-round which may be operated by small infants.

A further object of this invention is to provide a rotating see-saw which will present a minimum of exposed working parts.

An object of this invention is to provide a dur able, tamper-proof, rotating see-saw.

A feature of this invention is its compact construction.

Another feature of this invention is its simplicity of operation.

A further feature of this invention is its automatic release which sets off the rotary motion of the see-saw.

A feature of this invention is its foldable construction.

Another feature of this invention is its novel jacking mechanism.

The invention consists of the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as herein illustrated, described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, is illustrated one form of embodiment of the invention, in which drawings similar reference characters designate corresponding parts, and in which:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a complete embodiment of the rotating see-saw.

Figure 2 is a vertical section of a teetering and rotating mechanism, according to this invention.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 33 of Figure 2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 4 is a view in side elevation, partially cut away, of a gear arm, according to this invention.

Figure 5 is a view in front elevation of the gear arm shown in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the sprag assembly, according to this invention.

Figure 7 is a top plan view of the sprag assembly shown in Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a horizontal section taken on line 8-8 of Figure 2.

Figure 9 is a horizontal section taken on line 9--9 of Figure 2.

Figure 10 is a view in side elevation of the working parts of the see-saw in a folded position.

Figure 11 is a top plan view of the locking plate, according to this invention.

Figure 12 is a side elevation of the plate shown in Figure 11.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Figure l, it indicates a cylindrical housing to which are secured three supporting members Hi. The supporting members it comprise a base upon which the see-saw stands.

A rotating head 5?, shown above the housing 15 in Figures 1 and 2, is supported by an elevating screw I8 carried within the said housing iii. A horizontal shaft l9 freely held by the head I"! provides the pivotal point upon which the seesaw teeters.

The conventional teeter board is replaced by a three-pieced structure 28 in this embodiment of the invention. fhe central member of the teeter board construction comprises a bracket 2 I. This bracket 2| is secured at its midpoint to the shaft l9. Each end of the bracnet 2i provided with ears 22 to which are attached, as by pins 23, extending frames 24 and 25.

The frames 24 and 25 are somewhat triangular in form and may comprise tubular steel sections 26 connected at their extremities and diverging toward the center of the see-saw. A flat bar 21 is provided to receive the inner ends of the frames 24, 25. This bar 2? is pinned to the ears 22 of the bracket 2!.

A seat 39 is attached to the outer end of each frame 24, 25. Each frame 2%, 25 also carries, spaced from the end thereof, a combine-:1 hand grasp 3! and foot rest 32.

A stop member 28 is secured to the bracket 2! on each side thereof. This stop 23 is disposed in such manner as to limit the rotation of the central bracket 2! in each direction. A resilient bumper 29 is carried by the end of the stops 28 to cushion the impact of the said stop 28 against the rotary head ll.

As the see-saw is teetered, in the usual manner, a jacking device 33, best shown in Figure 2, is brought into action. The jacking device 33 employs a central elevating screw I8. The helix of the screw H3 is provided with a recessed surface 3 5, into the bottom of which are cut a plurality of sprag receiving sockets 35. Rollers 36, carried by the wall 3? of the housing l5, extend into the trough 33 of the elevating screw l8 and rotatably support it.

The top of the screw 18 is provided with a large flange 39, shown in plan in Figure 3. A

ring 40, having ratchet teeth 4| cut therein, is secured to the flange 39 as by screws 42 or other suitable means. The flange 39 is cut away adjacent the ring 40 to form an annular recess 43.

Two miter gear sectors 14, 45, freely slidable within the recess 43, are placed therein. The gear sectors 44, 45 are each provided with a pawl 46, 4'5. These pawls 4E, 41 are engageable with the teeth GI in the ratchet ring 49 and serve to turn it in a hereinafter described manner. Spring means, indicated by the numeral 48 in Figure 3, urge the said pawls against the teeth 4 I.

The rotary head ll rides upon the ratchet 7 ring 49 on the flange 99 by reason of two rollers 49, 50. These rollers d9, 50 are mounted upon shafts 5! which, in turn, are carried by the inner wall 52 of the said head IT. The inner wall 52 is provided with an inwardly turned flange 53, so that a keeper plate 54, secured to the top of the screw member l8, may hold the said rotary head 'l'l upon the screw H3. The inside of the wall 52 may be provided with threads 55 to receive a cover plate 56. This cover plate 56 serves to keep foreign matter out of the Working parts of the mechanism.

The pivotal shaft it slips through a horizontal bore 51a in the central bracket 2i of the teeter board assembly 29. The bracket 2! is then pinned to the shaft 19 as by tapered pins 58. These pins 58 slip into holes 5'! provided for this purpose in the shaft [9. The shaft 19 is also drilled from each end, as indicated at 59 in Figure 2, so that grease or some suitable lubricant may be forced between the bearing surfaces of the shaft [9 and the bore 51a.

Each end of the shaft 59 is provided with a fiat 56. This flat 6!! enables a driving gear arm El to be rigidly attached thereto. The arm 6!, shown in Figures 2, 4, 5, consists of an enlarged upper portion '52, centrally bored, as shown at 63, to permit it to be slipped upon the ends of the shaft 59. The upper portion 62 is drilled and tapped to receive a set screw 64 which secures the gear arm 6! to the shaft l9.

The downwardly extended portion 65 of each gear arm 55 carries a miter gear segment 66 at the end thereof. These gear segments 66 mesh with the miter gears A l and 45 which ride within the recess as of the flange 39. It will be seen, from an examination of Figures 3 and 4, that as the see-saw is teetered, the gear arms 6| cause the miter gears M and 45 to slide toward one another within the recess 43. Thus, upon one tilt of the see-saw the gears 44-45 will move toward each other around the top of the recess 43, shown in Figure 3, and upon the opposed tilt the gears e k-d5 will swing toward each other at the bottom of the said recess 43.

The opposed pawls 46, 41, shown in Figure 3, impart a counter-clockwise motion to the ratchet ring 4! which in turn carries the screw member 18 with it.

As the screw member I8 is raised, the sockets 35 are engaged by a sprag 61. This sprag 61 is part of an assembly best shown in Figures 6,

7, 8 and 9. The sprag 61 is secured to a short shaft 68 which is pivotally mounted in a vertical position within a bearing 69 secured to the wall 3'! of the housing l5. The wall 31 of the housin i5 is cutaway adjacent the said bearing 69 so that the sprag El and two levers 70, H associated therewith may have access to the screw mem-' ber l9.

The lowermost'lever 10, best shown in Figure 9, carries a pin 12 thereon. This pin 12 will overcome this tendency.

extends into the trough 38 of the screw member 18. A trip member 13 (see Figure 9) is secured within the trough 38 of the screw H3 at a point which will bring it into contact with the pin 72 when the screw l8 has reached the desired limit of travel. The trip member l3 forces the pin 12 away from the screw member l8 thereby rotating the entire sprag assembly and releasing the screw l8. This action causes the screw member 18 to spiral'downward upon the rollers 36, thereby imparting a'rotating motion to the seesaw teeter board assembly 29.

As the screw member l8 reaches the bottom of its travel, a small pin it, best shown in Figure 2, carried beneath the flange 39 of the screw l8, comes into contact with the resetting lever N. This lever H. is mounted upon the top of the sprag Bl but is displaced from the center axis thereof. The motionimparted to the lever ll by'the pin Ell causes the shaft {58 to rotate, thereby resetting the sprag El to the position shown in Figure 8. I 7

Spring means l5 (see Figure 9) is provided to urge the sprag 6'! into contact with the sprag sockets 35. The lever it is employed as the cammed surface upon which the spring 15 bears;

A slight recess "E6 is provided upon the cam sur face of the lever it so that it may be grasped and held in the tripped position when the sprag is disengaged.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, shown in the drawings, the screw member I3 is raised approximately three turns. This should be sufficient to impart a satisfactory rotary motion to the see-saw in its downward travel. The construction of the rotating mechanism is such that after the screw member reaches the bottom of its travel the see-saw teeter board can continue to turn under the impetus of its own inertia, since the pawls 46, 47! will merely override the teeth M, until the see-saw comes to rest and the teetering motion isresumed.

A positive stop member TI is provided near the bottom of the helix of the screw member [8.

in Figure 2. This formation of the trough 38 will give the screw member is additional impetus on its return travel by causing it to climb the cutaway portion of the trough slightly.

The wall 3'! of the housing l5 adjacent the point at which the stop ll should come to rest in its downward travel, is drilled and provided with a stud 79. A suitable nut is secured to the stud 19 within the housing 55 so that the stop member T! will come to rest against it. 1

As the see-saw is teetered, there will be a slight tendency of the frames 2G and 25 to rotate in a clockwise direction as a result of the helical nature of the central screw member l8. However, a very slight additional lateral pressure by the left foot of the child as he touches the ground, Alternately, the children may enjoy a combined teetering and rotating ride by failin to apply the extra pressure to overcome the tendency of the frames to move laterally during their operation.

When it is desired to store the see-saw, it may ward into a vertical position. Two small blocks 8|, 82, pivotally mounted on opposite sides of the rotary head ll, may then be swung out to prevent further rockin motion of the frames. A flange 83, shown in Figures 1 and 10, is formed on the upper edge of the bar 21 of each frame 24, 25. When the frame is lifted, a small winged plate 84 (shown in Figures 11 and 12), rotatably held to the top of the bracket 2 I, may be brought over the flange 83. One of the edges 85 of the plate 84 is cut away to permit it to be brought over the flanges 83 in this manner until they are both locked in place, as shown in Figure 10.

Additional rigidity may be given the tripod stand of the see-saw by the use of braces 86, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a rotary see-saw, a teetering platform, a jacking device to elevate the platform coupled to and supporting the said platform, fully automatic means comprising a trip carried by the jacking device to release the jacking device at its maximum upward travel and a helical member, associated with the jacking device to impart a rotary motion to the teetering platform during the downward travel of said jacking device.

2. In a rotary see-saw, a teetering platform, a jacking device comprising a housing, a screw member rotatably held by the said housing, sprag means to limit the direction of travel of the screw and means actuated by the said platform to turn the said screw member to elevate the platform coupled to and supporting the said platform.

fully automatic means comprising a trip carried by the screw member of the jacking device adapted to engage the sprag member of the said jacking device to release the jacking device at its maximum upward travel and a helical member, associated with the jacking device to impart a rotary motion to the teetering platform during the downward travel of said jacking device.

3. In a rotary see-saw, a teetering platform, a jacking device comprising a housing, a screw member rotatably held by the said housing, sprag means to limit the direction of travel of the screw and means actuated by the said platform to turn the said screw member to elevate the platform coupled to and supporting the said platform, means to release the jacking device at its maximum upward travel, a helical member, associated with the jacking device to impart a rotary motion to the teetering platform during the downward travel of said jacking device and a pin to reset the sprag member after the downward travel of the jackin device.

GEORGE GRlOVER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 937,753 Barrett Oct. 26, 1909 1,903,116 Koschka Mar, 28, 1933 1,904,687 Jacob Apr, 18, 1933 

